In the second practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Kimi Antonelli secured the fastest lap, while his Mercedes teammate George Russell finished eighth, raising concerns about his performance.

Russell, who had previously narrowed Antonelli's championship lead to 25 points after Silverstone, faced challenges with rear tyre temperatures, resulting in a 1.2-second gap.

Mercedes, which has secured pole positions in all races so far, started the weekend on the back foot, with Antonelli and Russell finishing sixth and eighth respectively.Max Verstappen initially led the first session but dropped to third by the end of the day.Lando Norris, equipped with a new battery, finished second but will start 10 places lower due to exceeding engine part limits.Lewis Hamilton, who took third at Silverstone, finished fourth here, closing the gap to Antonelli's title lead.The session was interrupted by a crash involving Pierre Gasly, who lost control and damaged his Alpine, leading to a red flag.Despite the incident, Antonelli maintained his lead, setting the pace for Sunday's race.